Mission parameters
by Swing-21
Summary: AU. In a world where Vulcans want nothing to do with Humans, Captain James T. Kirk has to establish diplomatic relations with them at all costs. Even if it means seducing one of them into a marriage. K/S.


Disclaimer: I wish.

Warnings: Graphic porn, language, Kirk flirting with Stonn (that should always come with a warning).

Author's note: Done for Kami and Tysia for the help_chile auctions. Thanks again for helping my country, girls.

* * *

'Captain, we are receiving a distress call.'

'Origin, Lieutenant?'

'Unidentified. The frequency is neither Federation or anything standard.'

'Send coordinates to the navigation console.'

'Aye sir.'

Kirk turned his attention to the navigation console and waited for Chekov's report. The young Ensign calculated for a few seconds, exchanged a couple of muttered words with Sulu, typed the coordinates in his computer and turned towards the Captain.

'Ve should be getting there in an hour and thirty two minutes at Warp six, Keptain.'

'Mister Scott,' said Kirk, turning towards the Engineering station, 'can we handle this?'

'Aye Captain, the crystals we received from the last starbase are all shiny and new. The ship's purring like a little baby.'

'Alright. Mister Sulu, set course.'

'Aye Sir.'

Kirk sat back, but Uhura's voice stopped him in mid-thought.

'Captain. I managed to unscramble the frequency and find a reference in our databanks.'

'Anything interesting?'

'…the hailing ship is Vulcan, Sir.'

Heads turned around to stare at the communication officer. Kirk tried to control his expression by biting his lower lip. Vulcans. Shit. This would be complicated.

'Damn,' he muttered to himself. 'Lieutenant Uhura, you know the procedure. Open channel with Starfleet Command, top priority.'

'Yes, sir.'

A moment later, Admiral Pike's face appeared on the center screen.

'Kirk? What's going on?'

'Vulcan ship in distress, sir,' answered Jim with a somber face. 'We received the call and are on our way, ETA in an hour in a half.'

'Alright, I'll call an emergency meeting with the Admiralty and send you your orders in an hour.'

'Yes sir.'

The screen went dark. Kirk took a moment to compose himself, and turned towards the science station.

'Mister Simmons, I'll need every scrap of information we have on Vulcans.'

'Yes, sir,' said his First Officer. 'You know it's not a lot, though.'  
'Yeah, I know,' said Kirk with a frown.

* * *

An hour later, he received his orders, under a seal of highest confidentiality. No one was to know, except himself, Simmons and the ship's CMO. Luckily for him, the latter was also a trusted friend with the best alcohol available on the ship. And this, this… farce was worthy of something stronger than anything that came out of Scotty's illegal still.

He entered Sickbay, nodded to the nurses and made his way to his best friend's office.

'Hey Bones,' he said, letting himself fall in the vacant chair.

McCoy lifted his head from the data PADD he was reading and graced Kirk with an annoyed expression.

'What's this?' he grumbled.

'I take it you received our new orders?'

'Orders? All I know is that they sent me a puny little document about Vulcan anatomy, biology and all that jazz, and that they expect me to learn it in less than thirty minutes? What the hell, Jim?'

'Hey, half an hour should be enough to learn all that,' tried to divert Kirk. 'We know shit about them.'

'I noticed that,' said McCoy, waving the PADD around. 'They say nothing of relevance besides "They have pointy ears", and there is a theory that they may have green blood, due to their skin pigmentation, but no one really knows since no Vulcan stayed around long enough to bleed or, I don't know, tell us. Also, don't change the subject.'

'Alright, alright. There's a Vulan ship emitting a distress signal on all frequencies. We're supposed to save them.'

McCoy lifted an eyebrow and took in Kirk's somber face.

'This is calling for a drink, doesn't it?'

'I wish I could afford more than one,' grumbled Kirk. 'I get the feeling I'll need to get completely smashed before the end of this mission.'

A moment later, a glass of bourbon was placed in front of him. He took a long sip and tried to hold back some tears. That stuff was good. He truly had the best of friends.

'Bones, what do you know about Vulcans?'

'Absolutely nothing, like everyone else. It's not like the bastards call every Sunday to chat.'

'Yeah, they pretty much ignore our existence and refuse any kind of communication since… Well, since First Contact. Man, was that a monumental clusterfuck.'

'What happened? They never told us the real version at the Academy, and damn if I don't believe the bullshit they made us study.'

'I dug around, and some things become clearer once you have access to classified information… The joys of Captainship. Anyway, seems like Zephram Cochrane was a genius, but a drunkard genius, and the morning he achieved Warp and attracted the Vulcan's attention he was drunk as shit, and we think the Vulcans noticed because… Well, First Contact was mostly a ship touching the ground, a few words, a handshake, and then the Vulcans step back into their ship, fly away and never contact us again. When we started the Federation, we sent delegates but all our calls have been ignored and our ships diverted from their space. They simply want nothing to do with us.'

'Damn those pretentious assholes,' muttered McCoy.

'Pretty much, yeah. The problem is that, from what we've seen of them, they're at least two or three centuries ahead of us in matters of science and technology. The Federation wants nothing more than establish diplomatic relations with them, but they're still refusing to even meet with us.'

'So, what are we going to do with that ship we're off to rescue? Send them flowers?'

'You have no idea,' sighed Kirk.

At his friend's insistent look, and took a moment to compose himself, take another sip and launched into the mission parameters.

'Things look bad for us, Bones,' he said. 'This is confidential information for now, but you're cleared. There are reports that the Klingons and the Romulans are currently in negotiations to become allies. If that happens, the Federation is going to be their first target, you know that. Starfleet Command has a very clear directive: we NEED Vulcan as an ally. They've tried almost anything.'

'…Except something stupid, reckless and completely crazy. And that's where you come in.'

Kirk lifted his glass in a salute and finished its remains in a single shot.

'Long story short, Bones, I have to marry a Vulcan.'

'…WHAT?'

'Yeah, that was my reaction too. Believe me, I'm not pleased.'

'What the hell? Why? How come… That has to be the STUPIDEST idea I've heard!'

'From what I get, there has been only one human to be granted access to Vulcan in the history of… ever. It happened two or three decades ago, I think. A Vulcan vessel almost crashed into Star Base Twelve and they rescued some high up Ambassador. Command was pretty happy about this, they thought they finally had the chance to open relations. But then, no one knows what really happened. The Ambassador got sick, spent days looking as if he was dying, and suddenly, he got better. And was married to a human woman.'

'What? What self-respectable woman would marry one of those hobgoblins?'

'No idea, honestly. But the thing is that Amanda Grayson is the only human to ever set foot on Vulcan. She left on her own volition and hasn't contacted anyone ever since.'

'Oh? And how can we be sure she's still alive? We know nothing of them, Jim, nothing! And they want to send you to marry one of those pointy-eared bastards for the good of the Federation? Why you?'

Kirk snorted, wished he had more to drink. But ETA was approaching and he had to keep a clear head for this.

'It said that my "precedent experience" was a must in this kind of mission.'

'Precedent experience? That's how they call your habit of fucking your way through the alien rainbow?'

'I'm still missing purple,' thought Kirk aloud.

'Spare me. So they know you're a playboy and they send you to… what? Seduce a Vulcan?'

'Looks like. Shame they're not purple.'

'Jim, this is not a joke! They're not asking you to seduce them, as if that wasn't a difficult task already! They're asking you to marry one!'

Kirk's eyes at that moment were almost vulnerable, but his Captain mask took its place quickly enough.

'I know, Bones. Believe me, I wish things were different. But they wouldn't ask this of me if they weren't desperate.'

'God almighty help us all, the only thing stopping us from impeding war against the Klingons AND the Romulans are your pathetic pick-up lines.'

'Don't forget my ass, Bones,' he said with a wink. 'It looks damn good in those uniform pants.'

McCoy kept praying.

* * *

They found the small vessel floating in the vastness of space.

'What does the scan says, Simmons?'

'It's of Vulcan origin, Captain. They've suffered massive damage from what seems to be an ion storm. Warp drive and impulse inactive, power reduced to 12% and diminishing every minute. Hm… Seems like the life-support system failed too, they're on auxiliary.'

'Lieutenant Uhura, hail them.'

'Aye Sir.'

A moment later, a shaky image appeared on the center screen. It showed a dark-haired humanoid male, looking at them with an impassive face. Kirk hid his surprise. He had expected the elusive Vulcans to look… different. More alien-like, perhaps.

'This is Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise,' he said with a little bit more show than what he used to. 'We are here in answer to your distress call. We are ready to beam you and your crew on board.'

'It will not be necessary,' answered the Vulcan without a sign of emotion. 'The distress signal was aimed at our home world, we did not intend for the Federation to intercept it.'

'Now, there's no need to be like that,' frowned Kirk. 'We see that your life support system is failing and you almost have no power. How long were you planning to wait?'

'We estimated rescue in less than… two of your terran days.'

Kirk caught the slight pause. The Vulcan had taken a moment to transform his time units into something a human could understand. He lifted an eyebrow and stored this information for later.

'And can Vulcans survive without oxygen for two days? Our scanners says that you have less than 12% power. I don't know how your vessel works, but-'

'A moment,' cut the Vulcan.

The screen went dark, and people on the Enterprise bridge exchanged glances. Before anyone could say anything, the Vulcan was back on screen.

'We accept your offer.'

'Great!' smiled Kirk. 'We'll beam you up and offer the services of our medical bay.'

'This will not be necessary-'

'Ah, but that will be up to our Chief Medical Officer,' said Kirk with an inner grin. 'Prepare to be beamed up!'

The Vulcan gave them an imperceptible nod and cut the connection. Kirk sighed.

'Zey do not seem wery friendly,' muttered Chekov, to which Sulu nodded his assent.

'Aye, maybe th' lad was stressed,' shrugged Scotty. 'A would if mah ship look'd like that!'

'Pff, don't give me that,' grumbled McCoy. 'Looked like a real jerk to me.'

'Well, I thought he looked handsome,' smiled Uhura.

Some crewwomen agreed. The men snorted, McCoy the loudest. Kirk kept his opinion to himself. The Vulcan did indeed look handsome, but if all his people were as cold mannered, he stood next to no chance to seduce one into his bed, even less into a marriage.

* * *

He entered the transporter room, closely followed by McCoy and Simmons. He nodded to the ensign sitting behind the console and watched attentively while three figures materialized in front of him.

They were young and austere. Two men and a woman, all three giving them impassive looks. The one to the right stepped forward, and Kirk recognized the one who spoke to them earlier.

'Welcome aboard,' said Kirk with a smile. 'I am Captain Kirk, and this is my First Officer, Simmons, and my Chief Medical Officer, Doctor McCoy.'

'I am Spock,' said the Vulcan, lifting a hand with his fingers spread in a weird manner. 'This is T'Pring, and this is Stonn.'

Kirk nodded to both of them, trying to evaluate the woman's -T'Pring's- reaction to his charming smile. She nodded stiffly and stood behind Spock in a manner that needed no translation. Ah, damn it, both the pretty ones were taken. He'd have to try his chances with the one with the larger ears.

'It's a pleasure to meet you all,' continued Kirk, laying on the charm. 'If you would follow us to our medical bay, our doctor could make sure that-'

'It shall not be necessary,' cut in T'Pring. 'Humans have no knowledge of Vulcan medical care.'

'You could always enlighten us,' said McCoy with a frustrated frown. 'Unless one of you is a doctor and can asses that none of you suffered any damage from the ion storm and the lacking life support system, of course.'

Spock turned towards T'Pring, who shot him a cold look.

'T'Pring was injured earlier. I have some medical knowledge, I may assist you, Doctor.'

'Good. Follow me.'

'Then I'll accompany mister Stonn to your quarters, how about it?' said Kirk, sending Stonn one of his most winning smiles.

'I would rather be with T'Pring,' said coldly Stonn.

Kirk caught the cold look exchanged between the two Vulcan males after that declaration. T'Pring seemed unaffected by the silent fight over her, but then, it seemed that unaffected was her default expression.

"Great," thought Kirk. "I'll have to mess up a love triangle. Go me."

* * *

The Vulcans were assigned guest quarters and left alone after a brief examination in sick bay. From what he understood from McCoy's grumblings, all three of them had been excessively difficult and would not allow the doctor to scan them. It was only after a long arguing session that they managed to find a compound that would allow T'Pring to regain some strength. They disappeared inside their quarters afterwards.

Kirk found himself in front of said quarters some hours later, trying to calm his nerves. He rang. The sliding doors opened and the one named Spock stepped out, his eyes betraying nothing.

'Can I be of assistance, Captain Kirk?'

'Yes, you can,' smiled Kirk. 'I'd like to invite you three to this evening's meal. It'd be a quiet affair, just us and my Senior Officers…'

'If the ship's Chief Surgeon is among those Senior Officers, I doubt that it would be a "quiet" affair,' said Spock without inflection.

Kirk took a moment to realize that it was a joke and guffawed loudly. Spock seemed nonplused, but he lifted an eyebrow.

'May I enquire the source of your amusement?'

'Sorry, I just didn't expect Vulcans to have a sense of humor,' he said, composing himself.

'You are wrong, Vulcans have no emotions, humor the least of them.'

'Hm, we'll see about that,' promised Kirk, a twinkle in his eye. 'So for the meal, my cooks were wondering if there was anything you guys were allergic to-'

'I am sorry, Captain, but we will have to decline. T'Pring is in a healing trance and Stonn-'

He stopped himself, seemed to rethink his words and was about to reformulate when he was interrupted.

'So, how about you? Won't you dine with me?'

'Captain Kirk, if this is an attempt to extract information about my planet and my people, you must know that-'

'Yeah, I know that you don't want anything to do with us,' shrugged Kirk. 'But you must be a little bit curious about humans. I promise to answer any question you have and that I'll let you keep quiet on whatever you want. Deal?'

Spock thought about it for a moment, and threw a imperceptible glace towards the closed door of his quarters. He seemed to make up his mind and nodded.

'I will accept your offer, Captain.'

'Great! How about now? We'll eat in the Officer's mess, no one will bother us. I'll send someone with food for your friends, how about that?'

'It is adequate. I have to tell you that Vulcans are vegetarians, though, and that a meal rich in copper would help T'Pring's recovery.'

'No meat, lots of copper, got it,' grinned Kirk.

Spock's eyebrows frowned a tiny bit, but he was soon back to his unemotional façade. Kirk thought that even though Spock was not his intended target, he would be a fun challenge. If he found the way to make this Vulcan crack, it would be easier with Stonn, afterwards.

He gave orders to the ship's kitchen and motioned for Spock to follow him. The Vulcan fell into step beside him and both kept silent until they reached the mess. Two Lieutenants were sitting in a corner, and left when the Captain motioned them to clear up the space.

'Is this a two-dimensional chess set?'

Kirk turned around and saw that Spock had stopped in front of a table and was observing the board.

'Yeah, how come you know that? Is there something like this on Vulan?'

'We have a similar game, of the tridimensional variety,' admitted Spock, still staring at the set.

'Do you play?'

'Indeed, but it was never to a challenging adversary-'

'The meal should be there in a while, how about a game, before that?'

Spock lifted his eyes and seemed to look at Kirk for the first time.

'I would not be adverse to play.'

Kirk sent him a genuine ten thousand watts smile, the one that not even Bones was immune to. Spock frowned a tiny bit again and sat in front of the set without another word.

They soon found themselves completely enraptured by the game. They didn't exchange a single word, all their concentration on the board before them. When an Ensign came in with their meals, they didn't even notice and kept playing. An hour had gone by when Spock finally managed to win.

'I believe the proper human saying is "checkmate",' he muttered.

'Yeah, you got that right,' said Kirk with a grin. 'Man, that was an awesome game, I haven't played something that intense in years!'

'You play a most frustrating game of chess,' commented Spock.

'Now Spock, isn't frustration an emotion?' winked Kirk. 'I thought Vulcans didn't have those.'

'No Vulcan has ever played a game against you,' said Spock with a raised eyebrow. 'Your moves are completely illogical and your strategy, nonexistent.'

'Hey, I almost won, didn't I? How about a rematch?'

'Our food, Captain.'

Kirk turned his head and was surprised to see two covered plate next to them. He grinned sheepishly at Spock and handed him his plate. Their fingers brushed for a fraction of a second, and the Vulcan recoiled with a frown. He placed his plate in front of him and started to eat in silence. Kirk was surprised at this sudden change of mood. A moment ago, Spock was almost affable and now he was back to cold and closed-up. He had to know what he did wrong so he wouldn't make the same mistake with Stonn.

He wondered for a moment if Stonn played chess.

'So,' he started, while digging in his salad, 'is there anything you want to know about Earth, humans, the Federation?'

'How can humans manage with so many emotions?' said Spock in a way that seemed almost blurted out. He composed himself, and kept going: 'How can a civilization manage without logic?'

'Huh? But we do have logic. And emotions. Both aren't that exclusive, I think.'

'A society ruled by pure emotionalism will eventually lead to chaos and war. Logic is the way to prevent this.'

'Not if you can find a balance. We still haven't reached an ideal solution, but there are situations where emotions aren't that helpful. We try to keep them out of military, scientific and professional settings, among other things.'

'Fascinating. I was under the misconception that humans insisted on injecting emotionality upon everything.'

'Well, there's one misconception you won't have anymore,' said Kirk with a genuine grin.

'Indeed.'

They spent another hour simply talking and enjoying their meal. Spock had to admit that the recipe was interesting and palatable, which Kirk translated to "I was hungry and the food was delicious, my compliments to the chef". The Vulcan had asked question upon question about every aspect of Earth's society, History and scientific discoveries, and absorbed Kirk's answers with something akin to hunger.

The Captain walked him back to his chambers and seemed to notice the Vulcan's hesitation when they stopped in front of the closed door.

'Well, that was fun,' he said with a smile. 'How about a repeat performance tomorrow night?'

'It would be agreeable, Captain.'

'How about you invite your friends, also? I would like to meet them.'

Whatever warmth had grown into Spock's eyes for the last two hours disappeared instantly.

'If that is your wish,' he answered coldly. 'I thank you for the meal and the game. Good evening, Captain.'

And without waiting another second, he disappeared inside his quarters, leaving Kirk in the middle of a corridor, wondering what he did wrong.

* * *

Jim was a certified diplomat, Starfleet had seen to that. Even if his tactics somewhat differed from what was in the original curriculum, his confidence, smile and charm were enough to get him through any awkward situation. Most of the time.

Right now, he would have given his Captain Stripes to be anywhere but in the Officer's Mess, caught in his stifling dress uniform, sitting at a too formal table and trying to make small talk with three unapproachable Vulcans. Things would have been easier if his trusted officers were actually helping him, but no one had attempted to resuscitate the conversation ever since T'Pring had given McCoy's the cold shoulder after the Doctor had made the diplomatic blunder of asking after her health.

Spock was not helping either. Whatever warmth had appeared during their chess match had completely disappeared before a granite wall of… nothingness. He ate silently, not making eye contact with anyone. Jim wouldn't let that fact deter him.

'I hope you enjoyed the meal,' said Jim with a winning smile towards the general direction of T'Pring and Stonn. 'Our chef selected the best non replicated Earth vegetables and grains for you. He was very nervous about making a first impression.'

'The food was nutritional,' said simply Stonn, placing his fork back on the table.

'Our chef is not the only one that wants to make a good impression,' continued Jim with two or three layers of innuendo, trying not to be too obvious. He felt more than heard Bones snort besides him.

The Vulcans seemed unaffected, though. Only Spock threw a sideway glance at Jim but made no comment. Jim took a moment longer to look back at Stonn and sent him the most charming smile in the Kirk repertoire, the one he used to charm the daughters of dangerous officials that wanted to murder him and the away team.

'I do hope that this will mark the beginning of a prosperous friendship between Earth and Vulcan,' he stated.

'Illogical,' cut Stonn. 'Vulcan has no interest in maintaining relations with Earth. We thank you and your crew for coming to our rescue, but no further contact shall be made after our departure.'

Kirk saw McCoy tense next to him, and Simmons throw him a slightly desperate look. He tried to ignore the bad feeling that came with the abrupt rebuttal. Without loosing his smile, he continued.

'We shall see, Mister Stonn. Currently, our mission is of top priority, and we won't be able to approach a planet or a Starbase for at least another week. I am afraid that you will have to remain on board. I do hope that, during said week, we will have the opportunity to convince you of our… worth.'

The last part leaked of subtext, but he couldn't stop himself. The Vulcans made no reactions whatsoever, so he decided to put an end to the torture. He got up and bowed a bit at Stonn and Spock.

'It was a pleasure, thank you for your company.'

McCoy was the first on his feet, quickly followed by a relieved Scotty and a twitchy Simmons. The Vulcans got to their feet, and Kirk approached T'Pring. He extended a hand to take hers and kiss it, in the most gentlemanly way, but before he could even brush it, he was violently pushed backwards, his breath knocked out and suddenly found himself lying on the table, a powerful Vulcan hand strangling him.

He opened his eyes and found Spock's furious look upon him. He was distantly aware of someone screaming for security, of a flurry of movement. He coughed, tried to breathe, found that everything was fading to black…

And then, the hand was gone and he could breathe again. McCoy and his tricorder were instantly at his side. Kirk waved the whirring device away and sat back. He found that Spock had walked back to his Vulcan friends and that all three were surrounded by security.

'God, what was THAT for?' gasped Kirk, trying to stand on his own.

'You approached my intended in an untoward manner,' said Spock coldly. 'Contact shall not be permitted.'

'What? All I wanted to do was kiss her hand!'

The Vulcans seemed taken aback by this. The fact that they had any reaction at all clued Kirk about the severity of the situation.

'Look, I'm sorry if I overstepped a cultural taboo. I didn't intend to hit on your wife. On Earth, kissing a woman's knuckles is considered a polite and respectful gesture. Old-fashioned, yeah, but still not worth killing someone for!'

'It is a misunderstanding, then,' concluded Spock.

'One I'll try to avoid in the future, believe me,' groaned Kirk. 'You know, things would be easy if you guys just tried to communicate a little bit. We just want to know about you!'

'This is a lie,' said Spock, narrowing his eyes. 'Cultural exchange is not the point of your mission, Captain Kirk.'

'What? What are you talking ab-'

'I read your mind,' said Spock in an almost accusatory fashion.

'You can read minds?'

'This is not the point. I saw the objective of keeping us on this vessel. Your orders are to seduce one of us into a marriage so the Federation could have a representative on Vulcan. This is unacceptable.'

Kirk's schooled his face into a mask reminiscent of the man before him. He had no idea Vulcans could read minds. Things had become even more complicated. He made a gesture and Security lowered their phasers a tiny bit.

'I see we found ourselves in an impasse,' he simply told the Vulcans. 'My mission is to establish communications with your planet, and if I have to marry one of you, so be it.'

'Take Spock.'

All heads turned toward T'Pring. She was staring directly at Kirk, ignoring the frown her fiancé was sending her.

'Explain,' he ordered.

'We shall not be released until the Captain's mission is accomplished. Of us three, you are the most logical choice. Your human genes and knowledge are better suited to a human husband. Your hybrid status also renders you sterile, so it matters not if you wed a man. I will then be free of marrying a full Vulcan and of producing children of full Vulcan blood.'

Kirk just stood there, his mouth open. Of the little he learned about Spock's way of displaying emotions, he looked as if he'd been slapped.

'We are bonded,' he reminded her.

'I was planning on divorcing you by the kal-i-fee,' she answered coldly. 'I do not want to wed you, I want Stonn.'

Spock's almost glare went to Stonn, and Kirk suddenly feared for the guy's life. There was going to be Vulcan blood on the walls if he didn't stop this soon.

'Security,' he said coldly. 'Please escort Miss T'Pring and Mister Stonn to their quarters.'

The Vulcans left without sparing them a glance. Spock was glaring at the bulkhead when Kirk stood in front of him.

'Spock, how about that rematch?'

'I have no desire to play chess at this moment.'

'It's not really about chess, I'll admit. But you seem to need a friendly ear and a bottle of booze, and I happen to have this bottle of Romulan ale-'

'Vulcans do not require friends or intoxicating substances, _Captain_. Also, desist with your attempts, you shall not succeed with me, no matter what T'Pring has stated.'

Kirk sighed and leaned back on the table. He motioned at his Officers to leave and all did reluctantly. He knew McCoy and Simmons would be waiting near, just in case the Vulcan tried anything. As the door closed behind them, he motioned a chair and both sat down wearily.

'Listen, I'm sorry about what just happened. It always suck when your girlfriend dumps you for one of your friends…'

'T'Pring was not my girlfriend, she was my bond mate,' clarified Spock with a cold voice. 'Also, I do not consider Stonn a friend. Merely an acquaintance.'

'I'm still sorry. You must feel horrible.'

'I do feel nothing of the sort, Captain. Please, stop needlessly worrying about things you do not understand and get to the matter you wish to discuss.'

'Alright, I get it,' snapped Kirk with a little impatience. 'I just wanted to inquire about your mother, but you make it difficult-'

'What about my mother?' said Spock in a icy voice.

'She's Amanda Grayson, right? She's the one who married the Vulcan Ambassador, and you're their child.'

'…You are right.'

'Yeah, I thought so, there aren't that many humans allowed to live on your planet,' smirked Kirk. 'No one has heard of her since, so I was wondering how she was.'

'Why would you need to know this?'

'Simple human empathy?' shrugged Jim. 'I'd like to know if she adapted among your people. If she's… happy.'

'…Happy.'

Spock seemed to think for a moment, and his face relaxed into something more approachable.

'I do not have much expertise about human emotions,' he admitted reluctantly. 'My mother had to adapt to Vulcan customs, so she does her best to refrain from expression. I do believe that smiles are a mark of happiness, though.'

'Yeah. They are.'

'Then my mother expresses happiness in a frequent manner, whenever she is at home,' said Spock in a thoughtful tone. 'I think… I advance the hypothesis that she is, in fact, happy.'

He lifted his eyes and Kirk found a trace of vulnerability there.

'Why do you inquire this, Captain?'

'Because your… Because T'Pring was right,' he said, motioning the door with a wave. 'I do have to complete my mission, and if I have choose, I'd rather have you.'

Spock frowned, but did not revert to his usual mask.

'I do not see the point of bonding with a perfect stranger to achieve diplomatic relations. Surely, if your Federation is that desperate, there must be other ways.'

'Believe me, they tried it all,' sighed Kirk. 'If there is something to be said about you guys, it's that you manage to be even more obstinate than us, which is something.'

'Our ancestors estimated that the human race was not ready yet to establish-'

'Spock, I know we humans aren't as advanced, but there's no time. The Klingons and the Romulans are teaming up, and believe me, the first planets they're gonna target are yours and mine. They hate us.'

'…Indeed. I was unaware of this information.'

'See why I have to gain access to Vulcan? The Federation chose me to go talk to your leaders and try to sign a treaty and to be granted access to your planet. I have to get Vulcan citizenship, one way or another. So… will you marry me?'

The last part was said with a sardonic smile, but Spock seemed deep in thought.

'I understand the logic of your mission, and I have to admit it requires reflection. Also, as T'Pring mentioned, I am indeed the better choice among us three. My mother being human, and my father, a respected Ambassador, I do believe it would facilitate your endeavor.'

Kirk couldn't believe his ears.

'Does that mean you'll accept?' he grinned.

'Do not assume, I was merely stating facts. There is much to Vulcan bonding that differs from human marriage.'

'How different can it be? Unions between people are pretty much the same all over the galaxy, from what I've seen.'

Spock merely raised an eyebrow, to which Kirk couldn't resist a wink.

'You'll see, I'll win you over. In the meantime, chess?'

'Captain, I do not think-'

'Look, it's either that or go back to your cabin with your ex and the asshole who stole her away. So, how about it?'

'…I accept your offer.'

* * *

They played and Kirk won. Then Spock checkmated him for the rematch. They were at their third game of the night and neither showed signs of tiring. Spock had no wish of going back to his quarters and Kirk… Kirk didn't really have a mission in the morning, since his mission was currently staring at the board, contemplating his next move.

Jim took the time to fully observe his… mission. Uhura had been right, the Vulcan was handsome. There was just something so graceful about the lines of his face, the contrast between his pale skin and dark hair… Kirk found himself enthralled by the smooth arch of the alien eyebrows and the pointed ears. There was something to be said about the lean form and the muscles slightly stretching the black fabric of his shirt… But nothing compared to the eyes, black, endless, intelligent, looking right back at him-

Jim realized he'd been caught and felt his own ears go red. He offered a placating smile.

'You were staring.'

'Huh… Yeah. Well, you can't really blame me for that, you're stare-worthy, Mister Spock.'

'Are you referring to my hybrid status? It has been stated many times that I do not have full Vulcan features, so I understand scientific curiosity from your part-'

'What? No! I meant that you were beautiful! I mean, huh, handsome, yeah. Hot. Very hot.'

'…You find me aesthetically pleasing?'

'Of course! I don't know if it's weird for you, being told this by a guy, and I'm sorry if it's offending you in some sort of way…'

'You are not offending me. I simply find this disquieting, since never before did I receive such compliments. If one excludes my mother, of course.'

At this, Jim, couldn't stop a full grin from splitting his face. It was just too cute.

'Yeah, moms are the same everywhere,' he chuckled. 'Mine always told me I was the prettiest boy in the quadrant.'

'I would not find this claim completely unreasonable. I do not know how you would compare to the totality of male specimens of the Alpha quadrant, but you do seem to be more aesthetically pleasing than the other humans I have seen so far on this ship.'

Kirk's mouth almost hit the floor.

'Mister Spock, are you flirting with me?' he asked, incredulous.

'Nonsense. I am merely stating facts. As I told you, I do not possess enough data to make a valuable claim, so my facts remain unusable.'

Jim took a moment to compose himself, then placed his rook on the board, putting Spock's king in check.

'Spock,' he said slowly, 'what is required in a Vulcan marriage?'

'A total joining of the minds,' answered Spock, his voice somewhat lower. 'A mental bond is established between the mates…'

'And a physical one?'

'…Yes, also, but there are complications I do not wish to partake with you at this moment.'

'But what if I told you I find you… aesthetically pleasing? Very aesthetically pleasing? Actually, that I find you very desirable, and smart, and funny, and agreeable…'

He saw Spock's cheeks turning greener with every word. Slowly, Jim stood up and walked around the desk. The Vulcan followed him with his gaze, but did not move.

'What if I tell you that I'm very glad to be assigned this mission, and that I'm even happier to have to seduce you, Mister Spock?'

'This is illogical-'

Kirk placed his hands on the chair's armrests and faced Spock with all the intensity his eyes could deliver.

'Tell me how Vulcans kiss,' he ordered in his best bedroom voice.

'I see no need-'

'Tell me or I'll kiss you the human way.'

Spock's gaze was fire, but he refused to move either way. Kirk knew that he could be thrown across the room at any moment, but he liked to play dangerously.

'You do not need to go to such extremes to accomplish your mission, Cap-'

'Right now I don't care about the mission,' stated Kirk, before kissing him soundly on the lips.

Spock froze, and the kiss was over in an instant. Jim stood back, eyes blinking. He felt his lips tingling strangely from the contact.

'Please, refrain,' whispered Spock. 'Vulcans are touch telepaths, I cannot help but feel your emotions when we touch.'

'…Does it work in reverse, too?' wondered Kirk. 'Can I feel what you feel?'

'Possibly. I was particularly unguarded at that moment, transference can be a side effect-'

'Then it's your lust I felt,' smiled Kirk, touching his own lips with his fingers.

Spock simply closed his eyes in shame. Jim placed a hand on his cheek and lifted his face. They exchanged a look, and Kirk grinned. This was going to be fun. The Vulcan frowned, alerted of his amusement by the small touch, but when he opened his mouth to protest, he found himself kissed again.

This time, it was more forceful. The Vulcan did not respond, but didn't throw him away either. Jim placed both hands on his face, nibbled on the lower lip, licked a bit, nothing seemed to phase the man. He gave one last kiss, recoiled a bit and grinned.

'I'll get you to crack,' he muttered.

'Nonsense,' whispered the Vulcan.

Kirk kissed him again, then placed a small kiss on the corner of his lips, and another one on his cheek. Spock didn't react when he traced his way to the elegant ear. He nibbled the lobe and licked his way to the point. Maybe he was hallucinating, but he thought he felt a shudder. He grinned deviously against the ear and breathed the scent of his hair.

'Hm, you smell good,' he breathed.

'Captain,' whispered Spock, 'I must warn you of the implications of your endeavors-'

Kirk licked the elegant ear once again and pressed a smile against it.

'Please, call me Jim.'

'Captain,' warned Spock, 'you must know that Vulcans are monogamous in nature-'

'Good,' said Jim, kissing him soundly on the lips again. 'Wouldn't want my husband to leave me for someone else-'

Spock took him by the shoulders and pushed him away. Both men stared at each other, slightly flushed.

'Jim,' said Spock in a serious tone, 'you must understand the consequences. If we are to be wed, a psychic bond will be created between us.'

'…A psychic bond? What does it mean, exactly?'

'It entails that our minds would become one. We would share emotions and thoughts in a permanent manner.'

Jim took a moment to think about that. He was ready to give a lot for the safety of the Federation, his celibacy amongst it, but to tie his mind to another's, _always and never touching and touched_…

He blinked. Those words hadn't come from him. He noticed that one of his hands was gripping Spock's on his shoulder. The Vulcan was staring at him intently.

'Please forgive. My mental shields are low, and your mind is most… vivacious.'

Jim grinned, gripping the hand and bringing it to his lips, pressing a tender kiss on the palm. He didn't imagine the shudder coming from Spock, this time.

'Captain…' tried to reason the Vulcan.

'Spock, you know I have to do this,' he muttered against the palm.

'I can feel it. I can also feel your reluctance at the idea of bonding.'

'Yeah, there was nothing about psychic bonding on the mission log,' he breathed. 'But… it's just tiny little me, and tiny little you, and…'

'We would protect both our planets,' completed Spock with a shiver.

'And, maybe you'll find this stupid, but… Hm…'

He didn't know how to say the words. He didn't know how to tell that handsome, intelligent, funny man that he already felt a connection between them, something stronger than what he'd shared with all the precedent partners he had… He had a sudden vision of them, on the bridge, Spock dressed in a science blue Starfleet uniform, and to benefit from than incredible brain, and wit, and- And he just wanted this, with a strength comparable of the want he felt for his ship, so strong…

'I understand,' said Spock, before pressing his fingers to Jim's face. 'Please, allow me…'

Jim already felt the tingling of another mind next to his own, waiting only permission. The want intensified to a point that the only thing he could do was nod his approbation.

'My mind to your mind-'

_My thoughts to your thoughts._

And Jim was not alone anymore.

It felt like water, fitting inside all the crevices of his mind. It felt like a warm blanket, protecting him from everything. It felt like space, infinite and full of wonders. It felt like the first kiss he'd shared with Shannon, under the bleachers, when he was fourteen. It felt like Captain Pike's voice when he awarded Kirk the Captainship of the Enterprise. It felt like those alien spores that made everything wonderful and perfect for a single day.

It felt as if he'd known Spock forever, as if they'd shared more than one life together. He could see the foundations of a friendship that would last several decades, of a trust that would be unparalleled. He could see the late night chess matches, the dangerous away missions, the looks shared across the bridge, he could see the heartbreak that was bound to happen sooner or later, but worth it, it would simply be worth it, because this was perfect in so many ways…

But most of all, he could see Spock. Infinitely intelligent, and good, and curious, and caring, and lost, lonely, rejected, different, trying, trying, always trying to fit-

_Jim_

And then, Jim could see himself. But taller, more beautiful than he really was. Smiling. Every single smile he'd made, Spock had catalogued in his mind. Jim was curious, surely a couple of smiles were not enough to provoke such warmth, such wonder…

Spock shared an image with him. It was a human woman –Mother, Amanda– smiling at him, she was the only being that ever smiled at him, and it conveyed so much love and acceptance that it was no wonder he'd been so intrigued by Jim's smiles, but to the point of cataloging them and trying to identify their meanings…

_You are most fascinating, Jim._

He suddenly felt Spock's desire to keep collecting and referencing Jim's smiles, he felt the completely illogical need to provoke them and jealously keep them in that endless repertoire that was his mind.

_Yes. Yes, I want that too_, he thought.

And he was kissing Spock, the human way, and their hands interlocked, _the Vulcan way_, said a voice in his head. They were kissing with a desperation unparalleled by anything in Jim's life so far.

There was no need for words, not when an open channel existed between their minds. He didn't even think in words anymore, just sensations and feelings, sending wave after wave of desire mixed with duty, lust mixed with fear, and the most beautiful thing was that… Spock understood. He could feel it in his mind.

Jim broke the kiss and stared at him, full of wonder. Spock looked at him, his face the same emotionless mask, but his eyes shining with awe. Between their joined hands there was a promise, something strong and beautiful that threatened to consume them both.

A moment stretched between them, and Jim came to a decision. He may not have a choice on the matter, but there was no way Starfleet would dictate him how to do things.

He kneeled slowly, never releasing Spock's hand. The Vulcan threw him a curious look.

'It's a tradition where I'm from,' explained Jim. 'I want to do it right, since you're the first… I've never done this before, Spock. I'm not very monogamous, to be honest. My longest relationship lasted half a terran year. I'm married to my job, and the Enterprise is the most important lady in my life. And it's true that you're part of a mission, and that I'm doing this to protect my planet and the Federation, and that we hardly know each other…'

He took a deep breath and lowered his eyes, not wanting to bear his soul to an impassive face. It felt better to read the minute changes of emotions through their hands. Spock, right now, was intrigued and attentive. Good.

'We don't know a lot about each other, it's true. But what I saw, talking to you and inside your head… I like it. I want to do this right, so I promise I'll do everything to make this work. I've never been monogamous, but I'd never cheat on a husband. I haven't done the couple thing, but I can learn. And we may be stuck inside each other's heads for a long time, but you have my promise that I'll do everything I can to ensure your happiness.'

His lifted his head and stared into Spock's thoughtful eyes.

'Spock,' he whispered. 'Will you marry me?'

A moment stretched and Spock did not answer. Right before Jim started fidgeting, the Vulcan placed his fingers in the meld position, once again.

'I shall bond with you, Captain James Kirk,' said solemnly Spock.

A wave or pure light exploded inside Jim's head…

And he saw no more.

* * *

When he opened his eyes, it was to find Spock's worried frown above him.

_Wait… worried?_

There was no change of expression on the Vulcan's face, but the worry was there, there was no denying it.

'Jim?'

'Hey you…' he said, sounding groggy. 'What was that?'

'I established the mating bond,' admitted Spock, and there it was, sheepishness. 'I did not expect it to be this strong.'

'That's an understatement, I felt as if my head went supernova…'

'Are you well?'

'Yeah… wait, did you carry me?'

He found himself laying on his own bed. Spock was perched above him, hands against Jim's cheeks. He looked as if he was stopping himself from getting closer. Actually, he looked the same. Jim just felt Spock's need to get closer, and closer, and… there was a hunger, a need to claim and take and-

Jim gasped.

'Forgive me,' whispered Spock, closing his eyes. 'The bond is still new, and my barriers are low…'

'…don't mind….' whimpered Jim.

He was burning from the inside, a wave of pure violence and possessiveness shook him whole and left him breathless. Above him, Spock bit his lower lip, his control fading.

And Jim understood. Like information downloaded directly from Spock's brain to his, he saw images centuries old, he saw warrior clans and fights to the death, words like Koon-ut-kal-I-fee and Pon Farr, feelings like T'hy'la and the warmth of Vulcan's sun against his skin… He understood everything. He nodded his assent, or maybe he nodded inside his head. It didn't matter, they were as one.

'Spock,' he may have begged. 'Go ahead… I'm yours.'

Spock groaned and pressed their foreheads together.

'Jim,' and his voice was hoarse with contained need, 'the bond is stronger that I expected… After completion, there will be no turning back…'

'Do you want me?' gasped Jim, even though he could feel it through their new link.

'…Yes.' It was a whisper, a confession, a prayer.

'Then take it. Everything. I'm yours.'

A growl, and Spock was kissing him desperately. Jim's eyes were flame, his heart was flame, he was burning from inside out, and Spock was kissing him, pressing his incredibly warm body against his, grabbing his waist, biting his neck, breathing his hair, rutting theirs hips together, creating delicious friction-

Hands tugging at his shirt, quickly removed and thrown against the room, quickly rejoined by pants and underwear, both human and Vulcan. They were soon completely naked, skin lit on fire, kissing desperately, hands roaming everywhere. Jim lifted his hips, pressing their groins together, getting a primal groan from Spock.

'Jim…' he gasped. 'I wish… I do not know how to proceed…'

Jim kissed his insecurities away and sent him mental instructions, images with both of them, indications on where to find the lube, and Spock mentally nodded in return. Jim felt cold for an instant, his hands trying to grab on any part of Spock just in case, but he was soon back and they were kissing and everything was good and perfect.

'Gimme that,' said Jim, pulling on the bottle. 'It'll be faster.'

'I wish to help you-'

'We'll have all our lives to practice.' A kiss on the lips. 'It'll be quicker that way. I feel like I'll die if I don't have you inside me in the next minute…'

'It is the forging of the bond, it requires-'

Spock's words died on his lips when he saw Jim insert a lubricated finger inside himself. His eyes widened fractionally and Jim grinned, adding another finger and sending him a wave of lust/need/pleasure that provoked a whimper out of the Vulcan.

Spock's eyes on his, alight with flame.

'You are learning at a alarming speed,' he panted.

Jim chuckled, not really surprised that he was quick at mastering yet another seduction tool. He took a comfortable pose on his back, bending his knees, spreading his legs, and beckoning Spock with his arms.

'C'mere, you,' he grinned.

Spock bent and pressed their lips together, not moving. He let Jim take control of the situation, guiding him, pressing them slowly closer, choosing the rhythm. Any sign of pain flared through the meld, slowing him down. But soon, they were as joined as they could ever be, panting and moaning against the other's mouth.

_Move, now_, was Jim's command through their link.

After that, if was a frenzy of grabbing hands, mashing lips, teeth marking skin, sweaty skin against inhuman warmth, legs around hips, pleasure, pure escalading pleasure-

Jim felt a scream inside of them, and he probably did scream, loudly, because the fire was too hot and burned them alive. They burned and burned until there was nothing left to burn.

Afterwards, when they were only ashes and flickers of dying flame, they lay against each other, unable to part, unwilling to speak. There was the buzzing of a newly formed link between their minds, the contentment of a good lay and the almost hopeful anticipation of what the future had in store for them.

* * *

'Bridge to Captain Kirk.'

Jim woke up immediately, remembered where he was, who he was using as a body pillow, and smiled in the crook of his neck. A lazy arm extended to his comm.

'Yes Uhura?' he mumbled, trying to sound professional against Spock's skin.

'We have a transmission from Vulcan, sir. They are inquiring about our passengers.'

Jim smirked. This was going to be good. He felt more than saw Spock lifting an eyebrow.

'Give me fifteen minutes and I'll be up there to chat with them.'

'Yes sir, Uhura out.'

He lifted his disheveled head and smiled down at his new husband.

'Hey you,' he grinned.

'Hello Jim,' said Spock, pressing their fingers together. 'I trust you slept well?'

'Like a charm. In fact, I haven't slept this well in years. Does this have anything to do with the bond?'

'It is possible. I remember dreaming, it may be the result of a close contact with your mind.'

'Hm, then I cuddled your mind while you slept. I like it, it's calm, and cozy.'

Now Spock definitively lifted and eyebrow.

'I do believe we have a limited amount of time to get prepared, Jim.'

'You're right. Shame, I was planning on a morning repeat performance.'

'It is fourteen hundred point zero three hours, according to your ship's time.'

'Whu? I've slept that long? The crew let me sleep that long?'

'I do believe it was in the best interest of the mission at hand.'

The Vulcan's face betrayed nothing. If Jim hadn't detected the faintest trace of humor through the bond, he wouldn't have believed it. He burst out laughing. When he calmed down, he felt affection aimed at him, and there it was, shining in Spock's human eyes. He smiled back, affection overwhelming him.

'You know, I think I might even fall in love with this husband of mine,' he whispered.

'A most interesting theory,' whispered back the Vulcan. _Yes, me too_, said his mind.

* * *

Freshly showered and changed, Jim marched out of the turbolift with a spring in his step. At the crew's general surprise, he was followed closely by one of the visiting Vulcans. Said Vulcan stationed himself behind the Captain's chair, while Kirk took place and grabbed both armrests with a most satisfied expression.

'So, Uhura, what was that about a Vulcan transmission?'

'It comes from a member of the Vulcan High Council, someone named Sarek.'

Spock stiffened infinitesimally, but let nothing through. A look passed between him and the Captain, but they said nothing aloud. Jim went back to the central screen, sat a little bit straighter, and put on his responsible Capitainy face.

'Patch him through, Lieutenant.'

'Yes Captain.'

A moment later, an austere looking Vulcan appeared on the center screen. Chekov might or might not have whimpered.

'Greeting. I am council member Sarek, of Vulcan.'

'And I'm Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise, Federation of Planets. What can I do for you, Council member?'

'We received a distress call and detected your ship in the vicinity. I aimed to inquire of the whereabouts of my son, but I see the question is now irrelevant. Greetings, Spock.'

'Father.'

'What is the condition of your companions?'

'T'Pring and Stonn are alive and well.'

'I will let their families know. A ship will be sent for you.'

'Father, there is a matter I wished to discuss. I do not plan on returning to Vulcan at this time.'

'Explain.'

'I am now bonded, and unable to leave my bondmate for lengthy periods of time.'

_Or leaving at all_, said Kirk through their link.

_Do not worry, Jim. The bond will be less demanding when it settles._

_I'm not adverse of going back to my quarters and helping it settle…_

_Jim, I beg thee. Not in front of my father._

'Are you and T'Pring bonded?' asked Sarek.

_Read: Did you two just elope?_ translated Jim.

'No. My bondmate is Captain James Kirk.'

A gasp shook the crew, who stopped trying to look professional at once. Every eye turned towards the pair. Spock's first two fingers raised and Jim, without even looking once in his direction, met them with his own two fingers. The Captain couldn't fight back a smirk.

Sarek didn't betray a single emotion.

'I will inform your mother of these changes.'

_Shit, your mom. I kinda expected your dad to hate me, but your mom seems kinda nice from what I've seen in your head…_

_My father does not hate you, hate is an emotion. As for my mother, I believe she will feel "left out" and will begrudge me not my choice of bondmate, but the fact that she was not made aware of this._

_She just wants to see her son's wedding. How about me make it official, so she can attend?_

_I believe she would be most pleased._

_Great! You'll wear white, and it'll be a spring wedding with peach blossoms and-_

He felt Spock tune him out and chuckled through their link. This was proving more fun than what he expected from a permanent bond with a Vulcan. He sent him a wave of affection, soon reciprocated.

'Tell mother I will soon be back on Vulcan, where a formal ceremony will take place. Also, warn the council that my husband wished to speak with them about interplanetary security.'

Sarek lifted an eyebrow minutely, and seemed to understand the underlying implications.

'I will do so. Captain Kirk, you may bring your ship around Vulcan's orbit, you and my son will be allowed to beam down and speak with the council.'

'Thank you, Sarek.'

'Live long and prosper, Spock, Kirk.'

'Live long and prosper, father.'

'See you soon,' grinned Kirk.

The connection went blank. Jim let out a nervous laugh and grabbed Spock's hand.

'It worked. I can't believe it worked.'

'This is only the first step, Jim. Convincing the council will prove more arduous than… acquiring Vulcan citizenship.'

He couldn't help it, Kirk laughed. He felt Spock smile through their link, and held his hand tighter.

When he calmed down, he felt the crew's eyes on them.

'Iz zat true, Keptain?' asked Chekov. 'You are married now?'

'Yeah, hard to believe, huh? Crew, meet Spock. He's tall, dark and mysterious, likes science, complicated equations and long walks under Vulcan moons. Spock, meet the awesomest crew in the universe.'

'Greetings.'

A chorus of welcoming words hid the swish of the turbolift door. Soon, McCoy had marched up to the chair and had lifted an eyebrow at their clasped hands.

'Bones! Meet my husband!' grinned Kirk.

'We've met,' growled McCoy. 'When he was strangling you, remember?'

'Oh, we worked through that,' waved Jim. 'Saw a marriage counselor, and everything.'

'I acknowledge your friendship with Jim and understand your determination at keeping him safe,' said Spock. 'I assure you though that I will endeavor to keep him from harm.'

'You better do that, or there'll be an entire collection of uncomfortable hyposprays waiting for you.'

'I do not see the point of preparing cures for me since I never get sick-'

'You're Jim's new hubby, that makes you unofficial part of the Enterprise, as per Starfleet regulation 432 alinea whatever, and that also makes me your appointed physician. And I can't be an efficient doctor if I don't know what I'm working with, so I'll have no choice but to study your Vulcan physiology.'

'Hey, no one's studying Spock's anatomy but me,' warned Jim with a mock glare.

'Leave the details, please!'

Jim smiled and opened his mouth, defiant, but Spock's warning through the bond, and McCoy's tricorder in front of his face stopped him short. A moment later, the doctor looked at the readings and frowned.

'Your psychic activity is all over the place. And you're using parts of your cortex you never had before. How's your head holding up?'

'Huh, I kinda have this headache that wants to split me open whenever I'm more than a step away from Spock…'

McCoy shot Spock a scandalized and furious look.

'The bond has yet to settle,' explained the Vulcan. 'It can take from two to four days.'

'Well, what are you two still doing here? Jim, you're on medical leave for the next two to four days!'

'Can't we go somewhere else than my quarters for our honeymoon?' asked Jim. 'I always wanted to see Venice at this time of year…'

'GO!'

Laughing, Jim pulled Spock by the hand and stepped in the turbolift. Before the doors closed on them, he heard McCoy:

'Oh, and Jim? Mazel fucking Tov.'

The bridge crew pretended they didn't see the way their Captain pressed his new husband against the wall to steal a breathtaking kiss.

* * *

The End


End file.
